History

source: http://www.amigosdebolsachica.org/images/historical_map.gif

The wetlands that lie along the coast of Bolsa Chica were originally viewed as 1,550 official acres of undeveloped land. Historically, it was known as a ground of upland mesas and

source: http://www.amigosdebolsachica.org/images/creek_channel.jpg

grounds as a source of
food and nourishment for the Native Americans--all the organisms that existed within the wetland ecosystem. By the 1900s, with the emergence of duck hunting in the Orange County area, the pathway leading the wetland deposits from the ocean was closed, causing destruction to the natural tide flow of ocean to wetland.
By examining wetland deposits and rock/mineral samples, some parts of the wetlands there are more than 8,000 years old, and prehistorically viewed to have many cogged stones found on

source: http://www.amigosdebolsachica.org/images/bay_dunes.jpg

the mesas surrounding the area. Most of the land there was used for settlement, and also for cattle grazing. The sand dunes and coastal aspects of the wetlands have degraded over time with the settlement of people and officiating sectioning off of land for preservation. Historically, the land looked rich with water, soil deposits and bluffs, but over time have eroded due to human occupation and natural degradation (Amigos De Bolsa Chica, ©2010). Prior land were also referred to as "Little Pocket", because of its pockets of swamps, also viewed as dry lands surrounded by sparse areas of water (Bolsa Chica Land & Trust, ©2003).